Endless-chain autosled.



JULIUS F. K. OTTO, OF MILWAUKEE, 'WISCONSIN'.

ENDLESS-CHAIN AUTOSLEID.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1913.,

Application led October 7, 1912. Serial No. 724,290.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULiUs F. K. Otero, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lViseonsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Endless-Chain Autosleds, of which the following is a description, reference beine' had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in endless chain auto sleds of the traction type.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an endless chain auto sled of the traction type which may be easily propelled by the user in a very e'rlcient manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an endless chain auto sled of the before mentioned type which may be easily steeredin anv direction desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide an endless chain auto sled in which the traction means yieldingly engages the surface traveled over to provide for the inequalities of the said surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide an endless chain auto sled with means for adjusting the tension of the traction means to adapt the sled to surfaces of dii'erent character.

qWith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved endless chain auto sled and its parts and coinbinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the saine reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views: Figure l is a side view of the improved endless-chain auto lsled, parts broken away and other parts being shown in section to show other parts in the rear thereof; Fig. 2 is a front view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view taken on line 3-3 of Fie. 1 of the upper forward end portion of the endless chain auto sled.

Referrine to the drawing the numeral 8 indicates tie rear section of the endless chain auto sled and 9 the front steering section thereof which is connected to the forwardly projecting portion 10 of the rear section by a steering or king bolt 11. The

rear section comprises the side runner boards l2, the top board 13 having the forwardly projecting portion 10 before mentioned and the elevated seat 14 mounted on said top board. A tie rod extending through both side runners and having nuts 16 threaded on the rod on each side of each side runner serves to brace the runners laterali The steering section is also provided with side runners 17 connected together by upper cross pieces 18 and 19 and by a rear cross piece 20.

A U-shaped standard 21 mounted on the forwardly projecting portion 10 of the rear section has journaled therein transversely of the sled a short shaft 22 upon which is mounted a s rocket wheel 23. Cranked o erating hanldles 24 connected to the opposite ends of the shaft are adapted to be turned to rotate the said sprocket wheel.

Guide members 25 connected to and depending from the lower side of the cross piece 19 have slidably positioned therebetween a lower U-shaped bearing member 26 which carries a sprocket wheel 27 and a toothed traction wheel 28 on each side or and of larger diameter than the said sprocket wheel. A standard 29 is also mounted on the cross piece 19 above the guide members and is connected to the cross piece 19 by screw bolts 30 which also fasten the uide members to said cross piece.

T e king bolt 11 is firmly attached to the upper portion of the bearing member 2b and extends upwardly therefrom and through the cross piece 19, the standard 29, the forwardly projecting portion 10 and the U- shaped standard 21. The u per end portion of the king bolt is threaded to take nuts 8l and 32 and these nuts are provided with lock bolts 33 which are threaded through the side portions of the nuts and iiiipinge against a fiattened or slabhed portion 3l of the king bolt to lock said nuts in adjusted position. Bearing plates 35 are interposed etween the lower lock nutand the top board portion and between the said to i board portion and the lower ortion of tlhe U-shaped standard 21 to provide for relieving the seat section of wear. The lock nut B1 fits snugly between the stem portions of the U-shaped standard 21 and cannot be turned indeendently thereof so that when the nut is ocked to the king bolt the steering section steering section with re ation to the rear`- section to cause the tractlon wheels to dlgmore'or less into Ithe surface traveled over.

in order to permit the-steering sectionof the endless chain auto sled to yield with relation to the rear section and travel overthe inequalities of the surface supporting Ithe sled, a coiled spring 3G surroundsl the king bolt andA is interposed between the cross vieee 19 and a collar '37 mounted on the said king bolt. The steering section is free to slide on the king bolt and the spring is not of sufcient strength to prevent the traction wheels from engaging the surface traveled over below the ower edges of the steering section runners.

A sprocket chain 38 engaging the sprocket wheels serves to transmit motion from the upper to the lower sprocket wheel. The forwardly projecting portion of the rear section is provided w1t a semi-circular slot 39 through which the chain passes to permit said chain 'to turn with the steering section. The steering section is also lprovided with foot projections 40 to support the feet of the user and also to assist in steering the section.

n use the operator sits on the seat, places his feet on the foot projections and turns theA cranked yhandles to pro el 'the sled over the surface traveled on, l it is desired .to adjust the tension of the chain or the distancez of the traction wheels from ythe forwardlyprojecting portion of the rear section, the

adjustment may be easily made by chan ing the location of the Ilocking nuts on the ing bolt and locking 'themagain in position.

From the 'forevoing description it will be seen that the endless chain auto sled is of ver sim le construction, is easily propel ed, and may be manufactured at a minimum cost.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An endless chain auto sled, comprising a rear runner sled section, a steering runner sled section, a king bolt connecting both sections together to permit the steering runner section to be turned at an angle with relation to the other section, a traction wheel carried b the steering section and turnable therewith, and means mounted on the rear section or rotating the traction wheel to pro el the sled. l

2. An end ess chain auto'sled, comprising a rear runner sled section a steering runner sled section, a king bolt connecting the sections together to permit thesteering runner Asection to be turned at an angle with relation to the other runner, a traction wheel carried by the lower end portion of the king bolt and turnable with the steering section, cranked handles mounted on the rear section and turnable with the steering section, and a power transmitting connection between the traction wheel and the cranked handles.l

An endless chain auto sled, comprising =a rear runner sled section having a forwardly projecting portion, a steering runner sled section positioned beneath the projecting portion, a king bolt connecting the two sections together and having a yielding connection with one of the sections, a traction wheel connected to the lower end portion ofl vthe king bolt and having a portion extending below the lower edees of the steering section and turnable wiii the steering section, cranked handles mounted on the forwardly projecting portion of the rear scction and turnable with the steering section, and a power transmission means connecting the cranked handles to the traction wheel. 4. An endless chain auto sled, comprising a rear runner sled section havin a torwardly projecting portion, a steering runner sled section positioned beneath the rojecting portion, a kinfr bolt exten ing loosely through the steering section and the projecting portion of the rear section to permit the runner section to be turned at an angle with relation to the other section, a standard revolubly ositioned on the ro- 'ecting portion and t irough which the ing olt extends, means for adjustably connecting the upper end portion of the king bolt to the standard, a s rocket 'wheel and a traction wheel carrie by the standard and Vhaving' cranked handles for rotating the same and having a sprocket chain connection with the other sprocket wheel, said kine bolt provided with a collar, and a coile sprin surrounding the king bolt and interpose between the collar and the steering section.

5. An endless chain auto sled, com rising a rear sled section having a forward y projectin' portion, a steering sled section positionedD eneath the projecting portion, a king bolt extending loosely through the steering section and the projecting portion of the rear section, said king bolt provided with a threaded and with a flattened portion, a standard revolubly positioned on the projecting portion and through which the lng bolt extends, a nut threaded on the king bolt below the projecting portion of the rear section and another nut threaded on the said bolt and engaging the standard, screws threaded in the nuts tor locking the nuts to 'the flattened portion of the bolt, a sprocket wheel and a pair oftraction wheels carried by the lower end portion of the king bolt, a sprocket wheel carried by the standard the two sprocket wheels, depending guide In testimony whereof, ax my signeneans carried by the teerin setllon fo ture, in presence of two w1tnesses.

t e lower en portion o the km 0 t, sai

king bolt provided with a colar and a JULUS F K' @TT 5 coiled spring surrounding the king iJolt and Witnesses:

interposed between the collar and the steer- JACOB HUNGER,

ing section. C. H. KEENEY.

@opten of this yatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of atent, Washington, D. 0. 

